Intricate Web May Connect Forest Clearing to Coronavirus

By Laurie Anderson, Professor of Botany-Microbiology

"As an ecologist, I study the interactions between organisms and their environment. At first, the coronavirus pandemic may seem like a simple, terrifying case of a virus interacting with the human species. However, an ecological perspective shows that this story involves complex connections among multiple species, deforestation, and humans as a unique animal with its own patterns of behavior."

Which Countries Are Responding Most Effectively to COVID-19?

By Jim Franklin, Professor of Politics & Government

"The novel coronavirus has spread rapidly around the world and seems certain to affect every country. As we have seen, the contagiousness and relatively high hospitalization rate of COVID-19 pose a challenge to even the most developed countries, yet some countries have been far more successful (so far) at slowing the spread of the virus than others."

A Pandemic of Irrational Public Policymaking

By Franchesca Nestor, Assistant Professor of Politics & Government

"Why has our response to climate change been so slow? Why does our social safety net remain woefully stingy compared to other democratically elected countries? Why weren’t we better prepared for this pandemic?"

Teaching Comparative Literature in the Age of a Pandemic

By Anne Sokolsky, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature

"Online teaching was never something I was planning to do. In fact, I have been quite concerned about the increased discussions in this country which seem to suggest that online teaching can replace face-to-face instruction."